So today is my final day in
Lourdes, and it is sad that such a wonderful and enlightening journey has to
come to an end. However, since I am not leaving for the airport until this
evening, I thought I would reflect with all of you about my experiences
throughout this pilgrimage.
When I first learnt of the
Church Teaching about Mary, I was amazed – how could someone so young and pure
be chosen for such a responsibility? But I know why now, she had faith – not only
in herself, but in others – the poor, sinners, and those who are simply looking
for forgiveness. She knew that if they have faith and embrace the Holy Spirit,
they will find a light within themselves that is white, bright and pure of love
and God’s help and spirit.
The council of Ephesus
taught us that Jesus is truly God, and because of this, it makes Mary the
Mother of God – she is the bearer of God. Jesus is without sin – not only has
he obtained this from the Holy Spirit, but his mother also – Jesus was born
whilst Mary was a virgin, as she ‘was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born
the Virgin Mary’. She was the depiction of the Immaculate Conception; she had
no prior stain of original sin, nor did she reject the responsibility of
bearing the son of God.
This all links into my
pilgrimage and the story of Bernadette Soubirous as Our Lady appeared to
Bernadette to not only pray with her, but to ask for her help – just like the
angel Gabriel asked for Mary’s help. Our Lady needed Bernadette to get the
local priests to build a chapel so that pilgrims could come in procession to
ask for both forgiveness and bathe in the healing waters of the Massabielle.
No matter what evil or sin
has been bestowed upon us, we can make a journey on our own or with others to
somewhere that we can reflect and appreciate the world we have today, and how
those before us were able to grant that to us. Through reflection, we are able
to thank both Jesus for his contributions and sacrifices to the Catholic
Society then and now, but also his mother, Mary; without her, how could we be
here today? She has saved humanity, even if humanity doesn’t realize.
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